I have always believed there are two main reasons we in Illinois suffer from having Bruce Rauner as governor.
Pat Quinn decided he was placed on this earth to cut public employee pensions.
He picked Paul Vallas as his running mate.
Quinn lost by a mere 70,000 votes statewide. I pin that tiny margin on pensions and Vallas.
Vallas screws up anything he does. He is like Midas in reverse. Everything he touches turns to shit.
But, jeez, don’t the school privatizers just love him.
His actual job resume is shaky: Fired as CPS CEO. Fired as NOLA recovery school’s chief after Katrina. Fired as Bridgeport, Connecticut schools superintendent for lacking basic educational credentials. Shown the door in Philadelphia.
He might as well have been a coach in professional sports where white guys also seem to get another coaching job no matter how bad they are.
The news that he is being promoted by Bruce Rauner to run the underfunded Chicago State University doesn’t come as a great surprise.
CSU serves a primarily African American student body.
It is ironic that the news of the Vallas’ appointment comes at the same time as Gary Solomon got seven years in prison for his part in the Barbara Byrd Bennet SUPES bribery scandal.
Oh, yes Vallas was part of that too.
Solomon went on to be a sales associate and then a vice president for the Princeton Review, a test preparation company, and counted CPS as one of his clients.
In 2005, he ventured out on his own and created two companies, one focusing on consulting and the other on web development. In Philadelphia, he marketed the consulting company as using the “Paul Vallas method of school reform.”
Solomon’s marketing efforts stoked controversy in the Philadelphia school community. Vallas at the time was CEO of Philadelphia schools, but had no training or background in education other than his time leading Chicago schools—a job he took at former Mayor Richard M. Daley’s behest after being the city’s budget director.
At a press conference last Friday Roderick Sawyer, 6th Ward Alderman:
“I just don’t know what value he adds to this university, that’s my concern. I don’t even know what a crisis intervention specialist means. I can understand it, but I would like to see a defined description of what that looks like and what he’s supposed to do. Is he usurping the president’s authority and powers? Is he adding to that? Has he got a specific task in mind?”
Maybe he has a task in mind. But it won’t be good.
Fred Klonsky 
How bad can he screw up? There is no $ there to waste or dole out to friends.
Only the destruction of a university that serves African American students.
Fred pray tell which universities do not serve African American students?
Try reading the sentence again.
A good source tells me that before he began his run for governor, Bruce Rauner was negotiating a deal to have a private company take over the management of CPS schools. Paul Vallas was to lead that company.
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Figures, Yellow Dog, & thank you for that NOT surprising info.
And MANY figures–$$$$–for Paul. He seems to have a nose for scoping out where the money is. I guess Rauner couldn’t come him at a non-paid position for long; I’m picturing Vallas as the Academy Award Winning Cuba Gooding in “Jerry McGuire,” yelling, “SHOW ME THE MONEY!!” Aside from ruining school systems in Chicago, NOLA, Philly & attempting to do so in Bridgeport–where he was, BTW, ordered to take actual EDUCATION admin course(s)in order to keep his job (wouldn’t all of all of you have done that? Not Paul! Too much work?!)–he & Arne go carpetbagging in Haiti–HAITI!–to “improve the schools.” WHAT schools?
Most any school buildings there destroyed by the earthquake. Few or no rural schools. Were they bringing money to help BUILD schools, or bringing supplies, or doing anything to aid & comfort Haitian families (& not talking about the 1% there–don’t get me started). No–humanitarian aid–mostly from other countries (& most of which did NOT go to fix the destruction or feed the people–great book about that, “The Big White Truck That Went By”)-$$$$$$.
As someone who DID take required ed admin courses–& I proudly add, at Chicago State University, where I found the courses & teachers to be excellent–CSU students, alumni, faculty, community & tax payers, say NO to Vallas. For more info., read Laura Washington’s column in today’s Chicago Sun-Times, “Students Languish Amid CSU Grandstanding.”
Mary Mitchell also had an informative piece in the Chicago Tribune (I believe it was Friday).
I’m thinking Rauner may have had a “wait a minute” moment. His initial thought probably paralleled the thinking of his friend Rahm, in that he wanted to close down another educational institution that would be of strong benefit to the African-American community. But then he realized that if could get Uncle Bruce involved, there just might be a way to milk a few million taxpayer dollars to pad the kitty. Uncle Bruce is real good at that stuff!
Man, I hate when I screw up on my proofreading. Should have read …….that if “he” could get Uncle Bruce involved, …….
My proofreading, as well. Should have read, “Rauner couldn’t KEEP him at a non-paid position for too long…”
Happens when posts like this boil one’s blood.
Vallas is toxic and is definitely one of the reasons we now have ruiner as governor. Allowing vallas to run as a democrat with a pension destroyer is one of the reasons the dems failed so badly in November. They are not listening to the working class, the middle class, or any other class that works. Only to their donors.
Barb, in support of your comment, the dollar has now replaced the vote.